Be a craftsman in Lijiang

Speaking of it, my days in Lijiang should also be called a craftsman. After all, there was a time when I made a living by my humble carpentry skills. Now that I think about it, I would like to thank all my friends who have recognized me and given me great support and motivation.

? I didn't go to Lijiang to take manual carpentry as my ancestral craft, and there was no master from other places to teach me Juexue. I just groped step by step with interest and patience. I just like this material, or the whole process from scratch. Different from other materials, wood is completely natural and gentle, and you can feel that simple warmth whether it is hot or cold.

? The first time I did manual work was at my home in Jilin. It is snowing heavily outside. I prepared a piece of green sandalwood, a hacksaw bar and a pile of sandpaper in my room. That morning, I began to make something with nothing, marking, cutting and polishing. I thought it would be done in three or two times, but I found it impossible to achieve uniform thickness. So while holding the mobile phone Baidu, I became thinner and thinner until the afternoon.

? When I squatted on the edge of the table and polished it carefully, the texture of the wood suddenly appeared at that moment, and I felt a great shock and sense of accomplishment. The natural beauty of irregular wood grain made me decide to take a walk on this road.

? I made some simple things at home that winter, including a bunch of bookmarks, several brands, two bracelets and a hairpin. Everyone gave them except one to my mother. At that time, there were no tools to use, so we had to grind them out bit by bit with wooden files and sandpaper. Sometimes I think, although the conditions are not good, I am really happy.

? After I went to Lijiang, I began to buy a lot of tools and make small things like spoons. From the beginning to the end, my aesthetic has been changing. At first, I liked to make complicated things, which looked strange and complicated. I thought only in this way could I show my little hard work. Gradually, I found that my favorite looks became simpler and simpler, and I didn't pursue anything special and eye-catching. I just want my things to be comfortable to pick up and convenient to use.

? Over the past few years, I have probably cooked more than 600 spoonfuls, with almost no repetition. Apart from my favorite style, repetition makes me feel as if I'm finishing my homework, and it's almost no fun. But the material is basically a kind of red cherry in North America, not only because I like it, but also because I have screened dozens of kinds. So many times I don't accept customization and make one after another with my own ideas.

? At first, no one told me what wood was suitable for tableware, and I didn't know the difference. Later, a friend bought a black walnut spoon to make coffee and found it fried like a hedgehog. I realized that wood has a different personality like people. Then I took the common wood in Yunnan and made it into a spoon. I tried more than a dozen kinds of hot water and finally chose red cherry wood.

? Wood has a temper. If it is wet and dry for a few days, it will definitely deform. You won't recognize it. You have to dry it before you can use water. Some materials have oblique texture, which will crack when you rush to cut, on the contrary, it will be smooth when you cut; Some are hard, but they break when they are thin, and some are too soft, leaving a hole when the nails touch. At that time, I used to chop all kinds of wood with a knife, dig with my nails or smell it with my nose every day.

? Most mobile artists have a vicissitudes of life, with scars or calluses, but they are not white and tender. When I first started using a knife, I squatted next to the sculptor in the wood factory to see where he used the knife, what angle he used and how hard he used it. What I can't see is basically tested with blood.

On one occasion, a small bowl was made with a wooden spin, and the bottom of the bowl had to be repaired with a knife. As a result, the knife stuck in the index finger of the left hand for nearly a centimeter, and the bleeding did not stop. Then I put on a band-aid and blood oozed all over the floor. I hurried to buy Yunnan Baiyao. It took me fifteen minutes, and a bottle of powder stopped the bleeding. I lost too much blood and felt cold all over. After that, I will always tell my friends who come here to play with wood that I must put my left hand behind the knife. This is really a lesson I learned with blood.

From time to time, all kinds of friends come to the studio to make their own things, and I have taught many people. There is no craft here that cannot be spread abroad. If someone likes to learn, I will teach. Only when things are ready can people learn, right? I enjoyed it too. I have two or three apprentices, and one little girl did a good job. She looks silly and cute, but she is very skilled and talented. It's a pity that she left Lijiang a few months later.

In fact, the charm of handmade works lies in the input of craftsmen in the whole process. The feeling that only what you have in hand seems to have disappeared in the whole world is an absolute concentration and a technical absolute control. It is said that machines have no spirituality. In fact, I think spirituality is the emotion that the craftsman puts into it, and it is the happiness that gives the soul instantly. Writing is a state of freedom, which is entirely the exertion of the personality and thoughts of the craftsman. I enjoy absolute concentration and control, and I also enjoy the emergence of instant inspiration, which has become the finishing touch through countless accumulation methods.

I like to look at old things, especially things that are not so delicate. The rougher things are, the more we can see how craftsmen made them at that time. It is even interesting to judge his mood and thoughts at that time by the angle, strength and overall shape of the knife. But whether it is rough or not, the commonly used things will have a thick patina, which is the best proof that this thing is recognized.

I believe every craftsman will be like me. The greatest expectation for his works is often not how much he can sell, but that every owner will recognize it and treat it well. In fact, treating it well is not to take it out for supply. The best treatment is to use it every day. I especially hope that a friend will tell me that he has been using my stuff for several years, and then show me that it has warm patina, which is really my greatest recognition.

If I can only think about what I like to do every day, whether it has a market or not, whether I have income or not, it is really a great state, but the reality is always unsatisfactory. Now that I don't do these things, another idea comes to my mind. I think that in the future, my house will be full of furniture made by myself. The idea was overwhelming as soon as it came out. I hope I'll get it.

Maybe one day when I am old and idle, I will pick up this craft when I raise flowers and birds every day. At that time, I was too old to do great things, so I made a small wooden horse or gun for my grandson and told him about it while basking in the sun. Grandpa is also a craftsman.